Introduction
In “Anxious China: Inner Revolution and Politics of Psychotherapy,” Li Zhang explores the intricate relationships between social systems and mental health in modern-day China. The purpose of the book is to shed light on the effects that the current sociological and economic changes are having on the mental health of the Chinese population and how psychotherapy has become a promising alternative to deal with these problems. The book provides a nuanced representation of the difficulties faced by people in China who are coping with mental health concerns and the limits of the current mental health system through a series of case studies and interviews with psychotherapists and patients. This critical review essay will discuss how this book’s social stratification and structure systems relate to health. In order to describe the subject from many angles, it is essential to provide extra materials that offer complementary information.
Mental Health
In her book, Zhang makes the case that China’s recent rapid socioeconomic changes have contributed to a marked rise in mental health issues among its population. The intense rivalry for jobs, housing, and education is just one of the constraints of modern living that have led to rising levels of anxiety, depression, and stress-related diseases in the Chinese population. Furthermore, Zhang emphasizes how societal structures and systems of stratification can aggravate the mental health problems that some groups, such as women, migrant workers, and LGBTQ+ people, confront (Zhang, 2020). The book demonstrates how the hukou system has made it difficult for migrant workers seeking mental health care since it restricts access to public services based on a person’s place of origin (Zhang, 2020). On the other hand, women suffer particular difficulties, such as social pressure to conform to established gender roles, which lowers self-esteem and causes stress, depression, and increased anxiety.
Zhang also focuses on how psychotherapy is becoming more popular in China as a potential replacement for conventional approaches to mental health care. The contradictions between Western and Chinese approaches to mental health care are also discussed in the book, along with the cultural and political variables that have affected the adoption of psychotherapy in China (Zhang, 2020). Zhang emphasizes the significance of a locally tailored and culturally sensitive approach to psychotherapy that takes into account the particular difficulties associated with providing mental health care in China (Zhang, 2020). The author also covers how China’s political climate has influenced the provision of mental health care in her book. The Chinese government has long treated mental health as a political issue, and treatment has been strictly regulated (Zhang, 2020). This political climate has resulted in a shortage of funding for mental health services and a concentration on treating severe mental illness rather than more typical mental health conditions.
The book examines how Confucian ideals like collectivism and filial piety might contribute to stigmatizing mental health conditions and make it challenging for people to get care. Zhang emphasizes the significance of considering these cultural considerations when improving mental health in China (Zhang, 2020). The author offers case studies and first-person accounts demonstrating what people in China seeking mental health care go through (Zhang, 2020). These accounts emphasize the difficulties people encounter when navigating China’s mental health care system, such as stigma, restricted access to resources, and a lack of culturally competent treatment alternatives. Zhang advocates for a new method of providing mental health care that considers the particular difficulties that Chinese society faces through her examination of the social, cultural, and political elements that influence mental health in China (Zhang, 2020). She promotes psychotherapy as a promising replacement for conventional approaches to mental health care and a locally tailored, culturally aware form of mental health care (Zhang, 2020). In general, “Anxious China: Inner Revolution and Politics of Psychotherapy” offers a thorough and perceptive investigation of the intricate connections between mental health and social structures in modern China.
The book significantly contributes to the knowledge of mental health treatment in China. An essential viewpoint on the difficulties facing mental health care in China can be gained from its investigation of the relationship between mental health and political and social development (Zhang, 2020). The book’s emphasis on psychotherapy’s role in resolving mental health problems in China also emphasizes the necessity of providing mental health care responsive to cultural differences. A particularly useful method used in the book to illuminate the experiences of people with mental health concerns in China is the use of personal narratives and anecdotes. This method offers a more complex and sympathetic view of mental health care in China.
Critical Review
The book “Anxious China: Inner Revolution and Politics of Psychotherapy” analyzes the relationship between social structures and mental health in modern-day China in great detail, but it also has several significant drawbacks. The lack of careful consideration of how gender, race, and other identification markers interact with mental health problems in China is one of the book’s significant disadvantages (Huang and Kirsner, 2020). Although Zhang mentions these subjects in passing, she needs to comprehensively analyze or include them in her critique. Psychotherapy is not a cure-all and may not be available or appropriate for all members of Chinese society, even though it may be helpful for certain people (Huang and Kirsner, 2020). Zhang’s focus on psychotherapy as a substitute for conventional mental health care systems is constrained.
Another criticism of “Anxious China” is that it may have benefited from a more extended examination of how Western psychology theories do not always apply to China. Zhang recognizes the significance of customizing psychotherapy approaches to the country’s unique cultural and historical contexts (Zhang, 2020). However, she explores the possibility that Western psychological theories might not be universally applicable or pertinent to the Chinese experience (Zhang, 2020). Thus, being unaware of how cultural variations may affect mental health care is worth noting.
The fact that “Anxious China: Inner Revolution and Politics of Psychotherapy” occasionally relies too largely on anecdotal data and personal accounts rather than a more thorough empirical investigation is another criticism leveled at the book. Personal experiences can help understand how mental health affects people, but they do not always indicate broader trends or patterns (Huang and Kirsner, 2020). The systemic problems and structural disparities that lead to poor mental health outcomes for many Chinese residents may also go unacknowledged by Zhang because of his emphasis on psychotherapy as a solution to mental health problems in China.
The book needs to complete the examination of the effects of China’s political and economic changes on mental health is another drawback. Zhang mentions some topics, such as the pressure to achieve in a quickly changing economy (Zhang, 2020). However, it is essential to thoroughly examine how social change and economic restructuring have affected mental health outcomes in China (Huang and Kirsner, 2020). This is a crucial omission because political and economic developments have profoundly affected many facets of Chinese society, including mental health (Bram, 2020). The book should use a more thorough analysis of traditional Chinese medicine’s function in Chinese mental health care.
Although Zhang recognizes the value of traditional Chinese medicine in treating mental illness, she needs to thoroughly investigate how it might be used with psychotherapy or other Western-based treatments (Zhang, 2020). This is a noteworthy omission because traditional Chinese medicine, a long-standing and significant component of Chinese healthcare, may provide crucial insights into treating and caring for mental illness (Bram, 2020). Understanding the current situation of mental health care in China requires an awareness of the history of mental health care in China as well as how it has changed through time (Bram, 2020). Zhang can offer insight on how cultural and political forces have affected mental health treatment in China by charting the historical evolution of the industry. This historical perspective can offer helpful insights for individuals striving to improve mental health outcomes in China and is crucial for comprehending the larger framework in which mental health treatment operates in China today.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Li Zhang’s book “Anxious China: Inner Revolution and Politics of Psychotherapy” offers a provocative examination of the intricate relationships between mental health and social structures in modern China. The book provides a distinctive viewpoint on the difficulties encountered by people in China seeking mental health care. It emphasizes the significance of embracing alternatives to conventional approaches to mental health care. Additionally, the supplementary sources covered in this review offer new perspectives on the social and cultural elements that influence mental health in China and how social stratification and structure interact with the mental health problems that particular groups experience.
Reference List
Bram, B. (2020) ‘Help‐seekers, Callers and Clients: Embodied History in China’s psy‐boom,’ Medical Anthropology Quarterly, 34(2), pp. 286–300. Web.
Huang, H.-Y. and Kirsner, D. (2020) ‘The History of Psychoanalysis in China,’ Psychoanalytic Inquiry, 40(1), pp. 3–15. Web.
Zhang, L. (2020) Anxious China: Inner Revolution and Politics of Psychotherapy. University of California Press.